Work garment



Oct. 25, 1955 c. D. WILLIAMSON 2,721,326

WORK GARMENT Filed Aug. 8, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1N VENTOR CHARLES D. WILLIAMSON fM/Z ATTORNEYS Oct 1955 c. D. WILLIAMSON WORK GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 8, 1952 CHARLES awulwfi' fi J A; ATTORNEYS United States Patent WORK GARMENT Charles D. Williamson, Fort Worth, Tex.

Application August 8, 1952, Serial No. 303,240

1 Claim. (Cl. 279) This invention relates to a work garment and particularly concerns an improved construction for overalls.

Utility garments generally known as overalls have been provided as working clothes for individuals requiring a multiple number of pockets for carrying hand tools and other small instruments. These overalls are usually fabricated from relatively stiff material and are designed to eliminate sagging and resulting discomfort which normally occurs from loading the pockets of a garment.

Conventional overalls have a combined trouser portion and front bib supported by Suspender-like straps looped over the shoulders. These shoulder straps support the entire load of tools in pockets of the bib and in the hip or side pockets of the trouser portion of the overalls. Ordinarily buckles are attached to the bib for retaining the shoulder straps in position to support the bib and trouser portion of the overalls. As well as being uncomfortable the straps tend to wear out long before wear in other portions of the overalls would cause the garment to be discarded. Further, by sliding inopportunely off the shoulders, these straps are generally inconvenient.

A wearer of the ordinary overalls requires a shirt which is tucked into the trouser portion and behind the bib. Frequently the tails of the shirt work up and slide out the sides of the overall causing discomfort and inconvenience. In addition, by reason of the double thickness of cloth in the area of the bib and the back of the overall such an outfit tends to be unduly warm and uncomfortable.

A major object of the invention is to provide a unitary overall garment affording protection for the entire body and which may be easily donned and removed by the wearer. A further object is to provide a unitary overall garment which is comfortable, long wearing, and more convenient for the wearer than work garments heretofore in use.

In the attainment of these objectives, one feature of the invention resides in the arrangement of a bib of heavier fabric at the front of a shirt portion with a trouser portion attached at the waist. Another feature is found in the arrangement of a separable closure running vertically from the neck opening of the shirt, through the center of the bib, and extending to the bottom of the fly opening with two slides operable in opposite directions over the entire length of the closure.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of an overall embodying the invention in its preferred form;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the upper part of the overall shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a composite view showing parts of the shirt or blouse portion of the overall in unassembled position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the front of the garment "ice showing the separable closure down the center of the garment; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the covering flap pulled back to show the closure.

In the preferred form illustrated in the drawings, the overall garment embodying the invention has a shirt or blouse portion 11 and a pair of front panels 14, 15 secured at the shoulders, as by seams 16, 16 to shoulder portions 17, 18 of back panel 19 extending on opposite sides of a neck opening 21. Thus a curved edge 22 of the back panel forms the rear of the neck opening 21 and arcuate edges 23 and 24 of front panels 14 and 15 complete the circular portion of the neck opening.

Seams 16, 16 extend downwardly and outwardly from opposite sides of the neck opening 19 to armholes provided at the sides of the garment. Sleeves 25 and 26 are secured by seams 27 and 28 to the armholes of the shirt. A pair of bib panels 31 and 32 have their horizontal upper edges 33 and 34 secured as by seams 35 and 36 to horizontal edges 37 and 38 of the front panels 14 and 15. Side edges 39 and 41 of the bib panels 31 and 32 diverge downwardly and outwardly and are secured as by seams 42 and 43 to correspondingly diverging edges 44 and 45 of the front panels 14 and 15.

As thus assembled, back panel 19 has its shoulder portions 17 and 18 extending over the front of the shoulder and joined to front panels 14 and 15 to which are attached bib panels 31 and 32. These panels complete the shirt portion of the garment with a front closure formed by cooperating edges 46 and 47, extending downwardly from the neck opening along the edges of front panels 14 and 15, together with cooperating edges 48 and 49, extending along the sides of the bib panels 31 and 32. Bib panels 31 and 32 are provided with conveniently located pockets 51 and 52 similar to those usually found on the bib of conventional overalls.

The bottom edges of the panels forming the shirt portion terminate in the region of the waist, where they are joined as by stitching 53 to a bifurcated trouser portion 54 provided with a conventional fly opening 55. The belt formed by stitching 53 may be adjustable as by conventional tabs 56, 56. The trouser portion 54 is provided with side pockets 57, 57, reinforced hip pockets 58, 58, and side loops 59 and 61 for carrying hand tools.

Extending along the straight edge of the front opening formed by the aligned side edge 46 of the front panel 14, side edge 48 of the bib panel 31, and edge 62 of the fly opening 55 is one side 63 of a separable closure such as a zipper. Similarly, secured to vertical edge 47 of the front panel 15, vertical edge 49 of the bib panel 32 and aligned edge 64 of the fly opening 55 is the other side 65 of the separable closure. Thus, a single separable closure extends from the bottom of the fly opening 55 upwardly to the neck opening 21 separably closing the entire front opening of the garment.

To eflect this closure, a slide 67 is provided which is operable to open the fastener when it is moved downwardly as when the garment is being donned by the wearer. This slide is effective to open the fastener and the center opening of the garment all the way to the bottom of the fly opening, and upon upward movement of the slide to close that opening. In order that the fly opening may be used independently of the remainder of the central opening of the garment, a second slide 68 is arranged on the sides of the zipper to open upon upward movement from the bottom of the fly opening. In this way, the two slides 67 and 68 are independently operable in opposite directions over the entire length of the closure to selectively open the closure in either direction, per mitting selective opening at the neck or the fly, or permitting the entire front of the garment to be opened when the .garment is being put on or "taken off by the wearer.

The bib and trouser portion of the garment are preferably made from heavy :denim or similar cloth. In some instances it is desirable to construct the back .and front panels of the shirt or blouse portion from light weight material although the invention is notso limited. When made from light-weight material, which is soft to .the touch and yet is sufiiciently strong to satisfactorily support the trouser portion and .the bib, the sensitive skin area of the neck and shoulder are not subject to irritation which might be caused by stiifer cloth. Examples of cloth which have been found satisfactory for the blouse portion are 2.70 and 2.20 weight sanforized denim shirting. With .the .front and backpanels of the shirt portion made from such fabrics, it has been found satisfactory to construct the bib and trouser portion of 2.0 weight sanforized denim pants material. Thus, the wearing portions of the bib and trousers areformed of heavier material while a satisfactory, comfortable shirt is provided as a part .of the unitary garment.

Several objectionable features .of known constructions have been eliminated in the improved overall described. With a blouse or shirt portion supporting the combined trousers and bib, the entire load .of .tools carried in the pockets of both the bib and the trousers is distributed evenly across the shoulders of the wearer. Elimination of the usual shoulder straps and buckles not only eliminates the wear incident to these undesirable parts of the garment, but eliminates the inconveniences resulting from the Suspender-type of construction.

In addition, the overall .garment of the present invention provides a single thickness of .cloth throughout areas, where, in ordinary constructions, double thicknesses of cloth would be found. Hence, the improved garment entirelyeliminates the objection of wearers regarding undue thickness .of material where the usual overall and companion workshirt are worn.

Savings in cloth and resulting economies in manufacture accrue from constructing :the .unitary garment of the invention aszdistinguished from conventional overalls and separate work shirts. Appointments such .as .the buckle and straps are eliminatedrdistribution costs of the single garment are less; and theexpenseto the consumer is correspondingly lowered. .More important, -hoWever, this invention provides a more comfortable, a more .at-

4 'tract'ive, and generally a more satisfactory work garment than has heretofore been available.

In the foregoing description, a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, but it is to be understood that variations in this particular construction may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claim. Therefore, this description and the accompanying drawings are to be construed as illustrative and-not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described 'the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A unitary overa'll garment comprising a trouser portion including .a fly .opening and .21 waist, .a back panel secured to and extending upwardly from the back of said waist, said back panel being arranged to overlie the shoulders of the wearer, a pair of front panelssecured to the upper and side edges of said back panel and forming a neck opening and a pair of arm openings therewith, said front panels having vertical edges which provide a front opening which .extends downwardly from .said neck opening and terminates at respective horizontal edges which extend outwardly from said vertical edges toward said arm openings, said :front-panelslhaving bottom .edges secured tosaid waist, 21 pair of substantially rectangular bib panels having .upper edges secured 'to ,said horizontal edges of :said front panels by seams substantially parallel to said waist, the lower edges of said bib panels being secured to the front of said waist, vertical edges on said bib panels forming .a front opening .extending .in continuation of .the front opening in said front panels to ,said fly opening, said lbib panels beingzof .heavier fabric than said front and back panels, a .continuousseparable.closure secured .to the sides of said fly opening and .said front openings, and-a pair of slidesindependently operable in opposite directions over the entire length .of said .closure.

References Citedin the 'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,145,855 Wise July6, 1915 1,411,119 Metcalf Mar. 28, 192-2 1,664,774 Edwards Apr. 3, 1928 1,667,220 Rifkin Apr. 24, 1928 1,934,084 Murphey Nov/'7, 1933 1,990,311 Salwen Feb. 5, 1935 2,622,248 -Schaye Dec. '23, 1952 

